It’s week two of the new school year and already we’re dreaming of the next school holidays. In The great Australian school holiday hijack, we explained why our long summer holidays went by too quickly. We are feeling far less refreshed at this time of year than we hoped.

In need of some Vitamin Me?

If you eat your whole grains, potatoes and beans, Vitamin B will boost your immune system, and promote healthy skin and hair. If you don’t like these foods you can buy a tub of vitamin supplements, but Vitamin Me is different. Vitamin Me isn’t found in food and doesn’t come in a bottle.

For Mum, Vitamin Me is a sense of well-being that leaves you relaxed and energised all at the same time. It’s what you get when you press the pause button on life and have a really good holiday, away from the stresses and challenges of your normal routine. It’s how we’re meant to feel after the long summer holidays, aren’t we?

Because we didn’t get that feeling this year we’re looking forward to the next opportunity for a break and have been planning what to do during a family holiday to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Top ten family activities on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast

For some inside information on the most family friendly activities and services on the Sunshine Coast we spoke to Anne Jacobson who runs ConnectRelocate, an accommodation, relocation and education management service based on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Thanks for your tips Anne!

1. A few days in Noosa – In Noosawe’ll use the calm waters of the main beach, one of the only north-facing beaches on the east coast of Australia, to learn to surf with the children, and we’ll take a self-guided driving \ walking tour around Noosa National Park.

Fraser Island

2. A hotel with a kid’s club – In an endeavour to balance family time with some adult time, we’ll spend a few nights at a resort with a kid’s club so that Mum and Dad can enjoy an evening out and \ or a lazy lunch. TheHyatt Regency in Coolum has a Kid’s Camp with evening activities and is a 30 minute drive to \ from Noosa.

3. Visit Fraser Island, one of only places in the world where rainforest grows out of the sand. We’ll stay in a bush hideaway villa at the Kingfisher Bay Resort and take a guided tour of Fraser Island to swim in the famous rock pools and, from a safe distance; we’ll search for tiger sharks in the surf.

Mooloolaba

4. Chill out in Mooloolaba – At the seaside town of Mooloolabawe’ll spend a few nights at theMooloolaba Beach Holiday Park on the safest patrolled surf beach in Queensland – more opportunity to practice our surf skills. We’ll enjoy a walk along the boardwalk and have Fish & Chips fresh from local fishing trawlers. Anne from ConnectRelocate talks very highly of Mooloolaba Spit, she says, “There’s a kid’s playground off beach, and many dining areas and takeaway Fish & Chip shops. You can dine in or take your meal and glass of wine and sit on the beach and watch the sun go down.” Sounds perfect!

Caloundra

5. A day at Kings Beach, Caloundra – Our kids never tire of beach action and Kings Beach, Caloundrahas something to suit everyone – surf, safe swimming in the ocean pools, and a playground with water fountains and sprays.

6. A day at Aussie World – We’ll all enjoy a day out at Aussie World theme park, 13 km north-west of Caloundra and home to 30 rides and games.

7. Visit Bellingham Maze – One of Anne’s top recommendations for a family day out on the Sunshine Coast is a visit to Bellingham Maze on the Tanawha Tourist Drive. Anne says, “The star-shaped maze, made from 1,000 trees, is the only maze of its kind in Australia. It keeps you guessing around every corner. Children are entertained solving the scavenger hunt questions to find the way out. Other giant puzzles and an ingenious rope maze make your visit multidimensional; lots of fun for the whole family”.

Maleny and view of Glass House Mountains

8. Trip to the Glass House Mountains and Maleny Dairies – We couldn’t visit the Sunshine Coast without a trip to the hinterland to take in the view of the Glass House Mountains. The town of Malenyis 30km south-west of Caloundra. Anne from ConnectRelocate recommends visiting Maleny Dairies where children meet baby animals, see cows and goats being milked, visit the bottling plant, and taste fresh milk, cheeses and dips. From Maleny you can enjoy panoramic views of the famous Glass House Mountains.

9. A day at Buderim Forest Park – We’ll take a break from the beach action to visit Buderim Forest Park. Nearby Big 4 Forest Glen Holiday Park is the perfect base for families; it has a kids’ club and endless family friendly activities. Anne says Buderim Forest Park “offers the natural beauty of a tropical setting and waterfalls in an accessible location, 3 minutes from Buderim town centre. You can take a picnic or add snags to the complimentary council BBQs. Walks meander through open forest on a wooden boardwalk, onto narrow walking trails following the river’s journey.”

10. Don’t forget Australia Zoo – We’ve had beach action, visited a farm, a maze and a theme park; but we couldn’t come to Queensland without taking the children to the world-famous Australia Zoo – home of the Crocodile Hunter, or if you’ve got kids the same age as ours “Bindi’s Dad”. Regular Mum’s gone 2 Aus reader, Ania, recently visited with her family and says the Croc Show is a highlight and if you’re visiting during school holidays ask about special shows featuring the Irwins (Bindi, Terry and Robert).

What about the Vitamin Me? Why has Mum chosen these activities and services?

When you plan a family holiday it’s 80- 90% about the kids. If they’re happy, amused and entertained then generally Mum and Dad can relax and are happy too. A holiday that offers fun, sun, sea, swimming, nature, wildlife and some educational activities ticks all the boxes. If we can manage a day, afternoon or evening without the kids (courtesy of a kid’s club) then we’re all the better for it. Just thinking and writing about this trip boosts Mum’s Vitamin Me….

By the way, we’ll fly from Sydney to Brisbane and hire a car from there. We will leave our laptops and iPads at home and obviously money will not be an issue…dreaming helps the Vitamin Me levels too!

What are you planning or dreaming of doing during the next school holidays? Have you already visited Queensland’s Sunshine Coast? We’d love to hear your dreams, tips and experiences. Thank you.

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Note: Mum is entering this article into a competition run by Tourism Queenslandand Nuffnang Australia to win a $5,000 dream holiday to Queensland. Read about the competition here. Wish us luck! If we don’t win we might afford this trip one day, and had fun learning more about Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Thanks again to Anne Jacobson from ConnectRelocate for her local knowledge, and to Ania for sharing her highlights from Australia Zoo. All images used in this article are credited to Tourism Queensland.

The ginger factory near budrim about 20 min drive from mooloolaba is excellent my kids loved it especially the presentation on honey bees. There is also q narrowgage train around the factory. Worth a visit if you make it up to sunshine coast.